System and method for providing telephone service access via a gateway telephone

Abstract

The present invention is a method for providing telephone service. The method includes receiving a request at a first telephone from a second telephone to access the first telephone's telephone service in response to the second telephone's inability to access the second telephone's telephone service. The method further includes granting access to the first telephone's telephone service for use by the second telephone in response to receiving the request at the first telephone prompting the first telephone to grant access to the first telephone's telephone service. The request is received by the first telephone from the second telephone via a short-range wireless connection.

1 . A method for providing telephone service, comprising:
 receiving a request at a first telephone from a second telephone to access the first telephone's telephone service in response to the second telephone's inability to access the second telephone's telephone service; and   in response to receiving the request at the first telephone prompting the first telephone to grant access to the first telephone's telephone service, granting access to the first telephone's telephone service for use by the second telephone,   wherein the request is received by the first telephone from the second telephone via a short-range wireless connection.   
   
   
       2 . A method as claimed in  claim 1 , further comprising:
 receiving dialing information from the second telephone at the first telephone via the short-range wireless connection, the dialing information including a telephone number specified by a user of the second telephone, the telephone number being associated with a destination telephone.   
   
   
       3 . A method as claimed in  claim 2 , further comprising:
 in response to receiving the dialing information at the first telephone, dialing the telephone number associated with the destination telephone.   
   
   
       4 . A method as claimed in  claim 3 , further comprising:
 establishing a telephone network connection between the first telephone and the destination telephone.   
   
   
       5 . A method as claimed in  claim 4 , further comprising:
 communicating audio stream data between the second telephone and the destination telephone.   
   
   
       6 . A method as claimed in  claim 5 , wherein the step of communicating audio stream data between the second telephone and the destination telephone includes communicating audio stream data between the second telephone and the first telephone via the short-range wireless connection. 
   
   
       7 . A method as claimed in  claim 6 , wherein the short-range wireless connection is a secured connection. 
   
   
       8 . A method as claimed in  claim 7 , wherein the short-range wireless connection utilizes a telephone profile defined for the secured connection for allowing audio stream data to be communicated between the second telephone and the first telephone. 
   
   
       9 . A computer program product, comprising:
 a computer useable medium including computer usable program code for performing a method for providing telephone service, the computer program product including:   computer usable program code for receiving a request at a first telephone from a second telephone to access the first telephone's telephone service in response to the second telephone's inability to access the second telephone's telephone service; and   computer usable program code for granting access to the first telephone's telephone service for use by the second telephone in response to receiving the request at the first telephone prompting the first telephone to grant access to the first telephone's telephone service,   wherein the request is received by the first telephone from the second telephone via a short-range wireless connection.   
   
   
       10 . A computer program product as claimed in  claim 9 , further comprising:
 computer usable program code for receiving dialing information from the second telephone at the first telephone via the short-range wireless connection, the dialing information including a telephone number specified by a user of the second telephone, the telephone number being associated with a destination telephone.   
   
   
       11 . A computer program product as claimed in  claim 10 , further comprising:
 computer usable program code for dialing the telephone number associated with the destination telephone in response to receiving the dialing information at the first telephone.   
   
   
       12 . A computer program product as claimed in  claim 11 , further comprising:
 computer usable program code for establishing a telephone network connection between the first telephone and the destination telephone.   
   
   
       13 . A computer program product as claimed in  claim 12 , further comprising:
 computer usable program code for communicating audio stream data between the second telephone and the destination telephone.   
   
   
       14 . A computer program product as claimed in  claim 13 , wherein the step of communicating audio stream data between the second telephone and the destination telephone includes communicating audio stream data between the second telephone and the first telephone via the short-range wireless connection. 
   
   
       15 . A computer program product as claimed in  claim 14 , wherein the short-range wireless connection is a secured connection. 
   
   
       16 . A computer program product as claimed in  claim 15 , wherein the short-range wireless connection utilizes a telephone profile defined for the secured connection for allowing audio stream data to be communicated between the second telephone and the first telephone. 
   
   
       17 . A system, comprising:
 a first telephone configured with a short-range wireless protocol; and   a second telephone configured with the short-range wireless protocol and further configured for communicatively coupling with the first telephone via a short-range wireless connection,   wherein the first telephone is further configured for granting the second telephone access to the first telephone's telephone service via the short-range wireless connection.   
   
   
       18 . A system as claimed in  claim 17 , wherein the short-range wireless connection is a secured connection. 
   
   
       19 . A system as claimed in  claim 18 , wherein the first telephone is further configured with means for selectively allowing access of the second telephone to the telephone service of the first telephone. 
   
   
       20 . A system as claimed in  claim 19 , wherein the first telephone is further configured with:
 means for receiving dialing information from the second telephone at the first telephone via the short-range wireless connection, the dialing information including a telephone number specified by a user of the second telephone, the telephone number being associated with a destination telephone;   means for dialing the telephone number associated with the destination telephone in response to receiving the dialing information at the first telephone;   means for establishing a telephone network connection between the first telephone and the destination telephone; and   means for communicating audio stream data between the second telephone and the destination telephone.